Introduction - Myself and My 65 Newport

Bryan

Bryan

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 15, 2012
Messages
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Location
Smack dead center of North America, ND.
After many years in the wilderness, and about 35 years after my last one, I have finally gotten another C Body Chrysler. I am an old retired military fart and live in North Dakota. This last weekend I went to South Dakota and bought a very nice low mileage 65 Newport Convertible. She is a bare bones car with only automatic tranny, power steering, power brakes and radio as options. 270 hp 383 with 59xxx miles and very original for 47 years old. Amazingly rust free and one rspray sometime in the 90's. Anyway, thanks for allowing me to join and I'm sure I'll have questions and I'll try to provide answers. Here are a couple pictures. DSCF4409-001.jpg

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DSCF4609-001.jpg

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Welcome aboard and Thank You for your service! That's a very beautiful Newport. It looks like there's very little or nothing to fix on her.

:sFl_america2:
 
Sweet ride! Another Spanish Red '65 'vert in the stable. Here's mine:

Front1a-1.jpg


Interior1b.jpg


EngineBay3.jpg


If you are interested, check out the link below on the restoration:

http://www.forcbodiesonly.com/mopar-forum/showthread.php?t=212

Feel free to hit me up about any questions you might have. I know this car backwards and forwards, having completely disassembled/assembled myself.

Congrats on the new ride and have fun with the project!
 
Welcome Bryon.
Beautiful car.
I hope Rexus gave you the inspiration to where you can bring your car up to.
Not that it isn't beautiful as it is.
 
Thanks all. I will have questions on a couple things right away. One thing is the odometer has suddenly quit working. The speedometer works fine, but I am thinking the little nylon gears for the odometer must have gone kaput on the drive home. Secondly. do you remember which hole on the backing plate is for adjusting the brakes, and which way do you go to move the shoes outward? I have forgotten many things that were second nature with these cars. It will come back, but for now, I feel like a first time owner. The last C cars I owned were a 69 300 convert and a 71 Polara back in the mid-late 70's. The last with drum front brakes was a 65 Plymouth VIP even earlier.
 
polara71 said:
:sSig_welcometoourcl..........Nice car. Your living in the land I'd like to get to some day.
Click to expand...

North Dakota is booming. Jobs everywhere. The lowest unemployment rate in the nation, fastest growing economy, and the state just jumped to second place in the nation in oil production and could pass Texas in the not too distant future........... The only problem is.....right now there aint no housing.
 
Welcome aboard! Your car doesn't look like it needs much of anything. She's a beauty. :wtg: Aside from a lot of top down cruising what are your plans for it?
 
Fratzog said:
Welcome aboard! Your car doesn't look like it needs much of anything. She's a beauty. :wtg: Aside from a lot of top down cruising what are your plans for it?
Click to expand...

Eventually I'd like to get it repainted right. It is a good 10 footer, but whoever painted it years ago left a lot of "finger" sand imperfections on the hood, trunk and sides. They didn't have the first clue about preparing a car for paint. Everywhere there was a chip in the paint, they wet sanded with their finger tips until it was nice and smooth. After new paint was applied, they all stand out because they are two layers of paint thinner than the rest of the car.

In the near future, I am going to have to fix a leaky core plug on the right center of the block. The power steering pump is going to need some attention and the right turn signal won't self cancel.... so a new cam or switch is in order there... As I find things, I'll fix them, but for now, we are going to enjoy it.

Our last car was a two seater 1963 MG Midget....what a difference!
 
Welcome and thats a nice sweet ride you got there, I recently acquire a 65 Newport station wagon but it is just a pile of metal and glass compared to that.
 
Very nice. That was definitely a popular color. Mine isn't quite as shiny as yours or Rexus'

may03044a.jpg
 
Welcome to the site from the Motor City! Beautiful vert you have there and a good looking family too! As far as the brake adjuster, I think one side will be front and the other the back hole. As far as figuring out which is which, I would say stick whatever tool, I use a mini flatbar, into the holes and feel around. you'll know it when you feel the sprocket. As far as which way to turn it? You've got a 50/50 chance to spin the right way, the car is presumably on jackstands so just give the tire a spin and turn adjuster at the same time and you will be able to tell in short order if your going the right way by the amount of drag on the tire. Best of luck.
 
Bryan said:
Thanks all. I will have questions on a couple things right away. One thing is the odometer has suddenly quit working. The speedometer works fine, but I am thinking the little nylon gears for the odometer must have gone kaput on the drive home. Secondly. do you remember which hole on the backing plate is for adjusting the brakes, and which way do you go to move the shoes outward? I have forgotten many things that were second nature with these cars. It will come back, but for now, I feel like a first time owner. The last C cars I owned were a 69 300 convert and a 71 Polara back in the mid-late 70's. The last with drum front brakes was a 65 Plymouth VIP even earlier.
Click to expand...

You are correct. The nylon gears have worn. You can either replace the entire unit with a working one or source the parts from a used unit. The odometer and trip-ometer are definitely a weak link.

As for the brakes, I believe the front hole in the backing plate is for adjusting the front brakes and the rear hole is for the rear brakes. If I am not mistaken, turning the adjuster clockwise will move the shoes outward.

Bryan said:
Rexus31, Your car is indeed beautiful. I wouldn't even try to restore mine to that type of perfection. I would almost be afraid to drive it.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I thoroughly enjoy driving the 300 every weekend without hesitation! It drives like a new car because, well, it is a new car!
 
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